William Lawrence Conover was born on 8. Feb. 1812 at Hunterdon County, New Jersey. He was the son of
Elias Conover and
Sarah Vanderveer. William Lawrence Conover married
Eliza Baker, daughter of
Benjamin Baker and
Elizabeth Covenhoven, on 8. Feb. 1837 at Roycefield, Somerset County, New Jersey. William Lawrence Conover married
Eliza Baker, daughter of
Benjamin Baker and
Elizabeth Covenhoven, on 8. Feb. 1837 at Hunterdon County, New Jersey; By Rev. Joseph Mahon of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. William Lawrence Conover and
Eliza Baker resided at at Tallula, Menard County, Illinois, c 1839. William Lawrence Conover died on 11. Aug. 1895 at Springfield, Sagamon County, Illinois, at age 83. He was buried at Oakland Cemetery, Petersburg, Menard County, Illinois.
After their marriage they removed to Illinois in 1837, and settled at "Vanderveer," their farm about two miles south of the village of Tallula, in Menard (then Sangamon) County. Engaged in the milling business in partnership with his son Lawrence after selling his farm, just after the Civile War, for two or three years. Later lived at Waverly for a few years, and then moved to Petersburg, and finally to Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois, where he died.
He came to Illinois by way of the Erie Canal, down the Ohio River, and up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers to Beardstown, Thence across the prairie to the farm near Tallula, where he settled.
His sisters and their husbands removed to Illinois about the same time. The family attempted to found a Dutch Reformed Church in their community but it did not succeed. They then were instrumental in organizing a Presbyterian Church, which was known as the First Presbyterian Church of Petersburg, Illinois, and later to Central Presbyterian Church of Petersburg. This family purchased the first communion set for this church and it is on display at the back of the church . A majority of the Charter members of this church were members of this family and their relatives.
Up to this time the family had generally been communicants of the Dutch Reformed Church, but thereafter William L Conover and his family remained Presbyterians.